Method of producing perforated honyecomb structure body

Abstract

The present invention provides a production method that can easily and inexpensively produce a perforated honeycomb structure body while effectively preventing chipping when grinding a hole. A method of producing a perforated honeycomb structure body according to the present invention includes partially grinding an outer wall 2 and a partition wall 3 of a honeycomb structure body 10 from the surface of the outer wall 2 of the honeycomb structure body 10 using a wheel grinder having grooves formed in its surface along a grinding direction, or a ball end mill provided with abrasive grains on its tip, to form a hole 5.

1 . A method of producing a perforated honeycomb structure body comprising:
 (A) mixing and kneading a forming raw material that includes at least one of a ceramic raw material and a metal raw material to obtain a kneaded clay;   (B) forming the kneaded clay into a honeycomb shape to obtain a honeycomb formed body;   (C) drying and firing the honeycomb formed body to obtain a honeycomb structure body, the honeycomb structure body including a porous partition wall that defines a plurality of cells that serve as fluid passages, and an outer wall that is disposed to surround the partition wall; and   (D) partially grinding the outer wall and the partition wall of the honeycomb structure body from a surface of the outer wall of the honeycomb structure body using a wheel grinder having grooves formed in its surface along a grinding direction, or a ball end mill provided with abrasive grains on its end, to obtain a perforated honeycomb structure body having a hole that is formed through part of the outer wall and the partition wall.   
   
   
       2 . The method of producing a perforated honeycomb structure body according to  claim 1 , wherein the abrasive grains are disposed on the ball end mill by electrodeposition. 
   
   
       3 . The method of producing a perforated honeycomb structure body according to  claim 1 , wherein the wheel grinder has two or more grooves having a maximum width of 0.5 mm or more, a total width of the two or more grooves being 30% or less of a circumferential length of the wheel grinder in a rotation direction. 
   
   
       4 . The method of producing a perforated honeycomb structure body according to  claim 1 , wherein the outer wall and the partition wall are partially ground while setting a feed amount per rotation of the wheel grinder or the ball end mill at 0.002 to 0.15 mm. 
   
   
       5 . The method of producing a perforated honeycomb structure body according to  claim 1 , wherein the hole is formed in a normal direction to the surface of the outer wall of the honeycomb structure body, or formed in a direction at an angle of ±45° with respect to the normal direction to the surface of the outer wall of the honeycomb structure body. 
   
   
       6 . A perforated honeycomb structure body having a hole that is formed through part of the outer wall and the partition wall, wherein the hole and its vicinity are free from chipping formed during grinding. 
   
   
       7 . A perforated honeycomb structure body according to  claim 6 , wherein the hole is formed in a normal direction to the surface of the outer wall of the honeycomb structure body, or formed in a direction at an angle of ±45° with respect to the normal direction to the surface of the outer wall of the honeycomb structure body. 
   
   
       8 . A perforated honeycomb structure body according to  claim 6 , wherein the hole is formed in a such manner that the hole is passed through the outer wall and the partition wall of the honeycomb structure body by partially grinding the outer wall and the partition wall from a surface of the outer wall of the honeycomb structure body using a wheel grinder having grooves formed in its surface along a grinding direction, or a ball end mill provided with abrasive grains on its end.